230623 La Frontera - Borderlands: Language and Culture in the Contact Zone (S) (SoSe 2007)

The United States has, in the last few decades, undergone significant demographic changes in inter-ethnic relations with profound repercussions on social, cultural, and political issues. Especially the continuously increasing role of the Latino population as the country¿s most populous ethnic group has been discussed by a wide range of scholars from right-wing intellectuals such as Huntington to representatives of anti-imperialist stances within post-national American Studies (Kaplan, Saldívar). Within these processes of change, the Mexican-American border has played a crucial role as mass migration has fueled images of conflict on both side of the divide.

This seminar will explore the topic of language and culture not just in the geographical contact zone between the Southwest of the United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California) and Mexico, but also as a more abstract space scattered throughout the U.S. The topic itself will be studied under a number of different aspects, each in a cluster of sessions: language contact between Spanish and English, the politics of ethnic representation in literature and film, and cultural practices such as, for example, performances of ethnic identities. The focus will include educational, linguistic, and cultural policies in the Borderlands.

While the seminar will be conducted in English, a basic reading knowledge of Spanish is recommended as some of the texts will be at least in part in Spanglish.

Participants will be expected to contribute to the work of the seminar not only by doing the background reading, but by writing essays on aspects of relevance to the various topics, and by making a (group) presentation within the framework of one of the aspects enumerated. For those wishing to do so, the possibility exists to write a module paper.

A reserved reading shelf will be provided.